There is something distinctly futuristic about the sleek chrome pods that
whisk staff and visitors up to Vince Cable’s office.

Controlled from a domed hub in the foyer, the lifts would not seem out of
place in a space station and look as if they must have cost a fortune.
Surprisingly, it turns out they were installed in the 1960s and have listed
status, meaning they cannot be removed.

Yet that retro look is never out of fashion for long — and neither it seems is
Cable.

After a period in the political doldrums, the secretary of state for business,
innovation and skills is on the up, flexing his political muscles once
again.

It is not just members of the Liberal Democrat party with whom he is back